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Home / The Country

Act Party's David Seymour makes an impression

The Country
19 Jun, 2020 03:44 AM2 mins to read

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Act Party leader David Seymour. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Act Party leader David Seymour. Photo / Mark Mitchell

David Seymour may be the only Act party member in Parliament but that hasn't stopped him from making an impression.

In fact, the Act Party leader has been enjoying a renaissance recently, criticising Labour MP Andrew Little's response to the recent Black Lives Matter protests and being thrown out Parliament's Debating Chamber for calling Winston Peters "grandpa".

Seymour remained philosophical on The Country today when host Jamie Mackay told him he was hard pressed to name another Act politician since the days of Roger Douglas and Richard Prebble in the '90s.

"When you've got one member of Parliament it's hard to get name recognition for others, but bear in mind there's quite a few people who are in Parliament and no one has a clue who they are, so I'm not too worried that our potential candidates aren't known" Seymour said.

"Margaret Thatcher wasn't very well known until she got into Parliament - but she got known in the end".

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A rise in popularity with young people could be attributed to his stint on "Dancing with the Stars", which Seymour confessed, was not his best work.

"I'll freely admit I was absolutely terrible, but I got out and gave it a go".

Listen below:

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As a result, Seymour reckoned he was the "unwitting beneficiary" of the "goodwill and underdog mentality of New Zealand people", which may have resonated with younger voters.

"Even if you're not the best, if you be yourself and act yourself, people will actually come in behind you. I think that basic message is something that we need more of in New Zealand".

"I think it probably resonates with some younger people who have a lot of anxiety about the future that things can turn out OK".

Also in today's interview: Seymour talked about his stance on euthanasia and gun control and whether he could work with Winston Peters.

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